Chapter 3: Humongous

He did not know how long he had cried and he must have fallen asleep.

This time there was no dream of his mother. He was certain he imagined things but there was a warm heavy arm on his shoulder and as he looked up a man sat next to him, the energy curtain was gone and the marine that mocked him stood there with a black eye and with a face of pure fright.

“Everything is going to be alright, Roy.”

The man next to him wore an all-black uniform, his calf-high boots polished to a mirror shine. He was tall and had a physique as if he could go toe to toe with a Pertharian

The man’s face was rectangular, with a very pronounced chin and jawline. There was a scar from his left eye to his mouth. The blonde hair cut high and tight. The man’s eyes were gray as steel and there was an eerie inhuman quality to them.

Next to him sat Admiral Richard Stahl the eternal Warrior. The living immortal legend.

None of his legends, however, reported that he had a warm, caring voice. The Immortal still had his arm on Roy’s shoulder and then produced a piece of white cloth out of a pocket.

“It’s an old fashioned handkerchief, but I have found no high tech alternative that really substitutes.”

Roy felt suddenly very embarrassed for his tears and his conduct and took the handkerchief and wiped his eyes and blew his nose. “Sir, I don’t belong out here. In my jungles I know what to do, out here I can’t even fly a spacesuit without making a fool out of myself.”

“This is just how I felt, the first time I left Earth.”

Roy looked up with disbelief in his face, “Sir, not you! Everyone knows you are...”

“I was a young Marine Lieutenant from a planet that knew nothing of extraterrestrial aliens or Faster than light travel. When I saw the first real Xunx, I almost shit my pants. A trip around our planet, aboard an airplane, back then took many hours longer, than it took me to get here after I heard what happened. Even today I wonder if all this isn’t simply too big for a simple Pre Astro Marine. They did not teach Faster than light weapon tactics at Parris Island or Quantico and because I am blessed and cursed with immortality, I saw more friends die than I can count and everyone of them left an empty spot in my soul. When the day is over Roy I am as alone as you feel right now, my last relative died 2800 years ago.”

Roy completely forgot his misery for a moment.

“Sir, I had no idea. You can come to Green Hell anytime. I am sure Uncle Sam would be thrilled!”

A deep smile parted the chiseled features of his hard face. “Thank you, Roy, and might just do that too, but first let’s get out of here.”

“Am I not charged with something?”

“Nobody filed any charges and the Commodore clearly understood the errors of his ways. You are the Unions biggest hero after all.”

“I don’t want that. It was a Partner and not me.”

“I know Roy. I made sure your name and the details were kept out of the news, but that does not mean I and a few others don’t know about it and we won’t forget it either. Twenty Five Star Systems could be saved. You saved billions of lives by sending Sobyr and Partner to the Station. Thankfully we have instantaneous communication and our magnificent Bellebees instantly sent out the correct orders to every System Defense.”

“And Partner paid for it with his life.”

Stahl got up.”Then I have a surprise for you.”

Roy also got up and followed the Immortal Admiral. Stahl pointed his finger at the marine with the black eye.

“Mocking a prisoner, any prisoner is simply not acceptable behavior for a Marine.” The stout marine trembled at Stahl’s gaze and gasped.

“Sir, no Sir it is not. I volunteer to run the entire Concourse with full gear Sir and I will correct my behavior.”

“Accepted.”

The Kermac in the other cell came to the field screen and waved at Stahl. Stahl pushed contact for the two way audio and barked.

“What do you want?”

“I recognize you. You are the one they call the Immortal Warrior. You are our greatest enemy but they say you are integrity personified. Tell me what will happen to us?”

“As despicable your act was, we are at war and you are now prisoners of war.”

“I knew our lives were forfeit the moment we stepped aboard the bomb carriers. I mean what will happen to all of us, the Kermac?”

“I am no psychic. I can’t predict the future, but I assure you I will do my part to retaliate in kind.”

The Kermac looked distressed and defeated, “We know of you. No Wizard will ever admit to it but we fear you.”

“If you have something to say, say it now. I am wasting time.”

“I know of another plan and I am willing to reveal it, for certain concessions.”

“Sorry I don’t make deals with enemies.”

Stahl tabbed his Wrist Com. “Alycia can you come down to the Prisoner hold and talk to our Kermac inmates. He has something about another Kermac Scheme.”

To the Marine he said. “Make sure they can’t lift a finger or kill themselves before General Lichfangh was here.”

Stahl waved Roy and said. “I still need to show you your surprise.”

Roy was once more dressed in his Bio-Seal Suit and had his belongings back. A marine handing him his things told him that the Immortal himself ordered them to get it all. “I also apologize, Sir. Our conduct was inappropriate.” Roy didn’t say much and as he stepped out of the Security Office he saw Stahl talking to a pretty woman in a US Army Uniform. He waved Roy over.

“Alycia I want you to meet Roy Masters, he is a very resourceful young man. We now met twice.”

The Woman had a Cara like quality to her, and while she had some similarities to a Saresii, he had the distinct feeling she was not of that race.

“Nice to meet you, Roy, I am Alycia Lichfangh.”

In all the misery he still felt, he could not deny the uplifting effect of the Eternal Warrior treating him like a friend.

“It is an honor, Ma’am.”

Her eyes had an even more penetrating quality than those of the Admiral.

“No one has told you yet?”

“Told me what?”

“The station went under a Saresii Psi Shield as the last bomb exploded. It was feared there could be Kermac Psionic attacks to follow.”

Roy had no idea what that supposed to mean. The Woman glared at Stahl.

“Go take him to his animal!”

“Take me to my ani ... Partner is alive?”

The woman said, more to Stahl than to Roy.

“The boy and the beast have a very strong Psi bond. The Shield has severed it. They both think the other is dead. The Brig down here is permanently shielded.”

Stahl grunted. “I still hate Psionics in the first place.”

Roy grabbed the arm of the Admiral. “Sir, where is Partner?”

“They found your beast floating out there in an almost catatonic state. He is with your new friends. I take you to them.”

The second he stepped out into the corridor he could feel Partner again and a heartbeat later, with a loud bang, Partner appeared. Roy immediately slung his arms around the big neck and kissed and hugged his friend, while he was licked. It was the second time today Roy could not keep back his tears.

The waves of love and emotions he received from his partner had never been as intense. The Universe simply wasn’t as big or as scary while he had his friend and was not alone after all.

Stahl interrupted him after a while.”I am sure glad you two are back together, but I do need to go back to my duties.”

Stahl pointed to Roy’s PDD.

“I added my personal call code. If you ever need me, call.”

Stahl padded Partner and then turned and walked away. Only now he noticed Cara and his new friends standing a short distance down the corridor. He did not let go of Partner as he walked up to them.

Cara gave him a scolding look. “I said to explore the Station, not half the Galaxy.”

Roy snapped angrily. “I am nothing but an assignment to you. Stowed away on Sares till it is time for the Wurgus conference. I promised Uncle Sam to be good, but no one ever asked me if I even want to be here.” It came out like a flood. “I thought you be there at Sares and now I know I just order and you decided to put me up with your parents. I don’t know them, could you not at least have told me that?”

He pointed at partner and said. “And then you let that prick talk like that when I thought Partner was dead?”

She took a step back. “I am sorry Roy. I know things haven’t been easy for you since I met you, but I thought we were friends. I called the Admiral to let him know what happened and he actually left his ship and the war behind and took a space train halfway across the quadrant to come here personally. You physically attacked and wounded the Commandant of this base. No matter how insensitive and callous his comments might have been, it was a serious thing. Yes, I understand your emotional state at that time, but everything went so fast you gave me no time to react or even say anything.” She looked sad and hurt. “I volunteered to help you from the day I heard your parents got killed. If my help was not adequate then I am sorry. Go back to Green Hell or whatever.” Sobyr looked troubled. “I came to apologize for what my father said and did and for the mess, I got you in. I am sorry, we all felt enriched by your presence and would like to thank you for everything you did, saving our lives and all.” Aat also made sad eyes. “If you go back to Green Hell we won’t have a chance to get to know you better.”

Roy suddenly felt rotten for snapping that way at Cara. What she said was true. She had his best in mind and never was anything less than a friend. Cara stepped forward and simply hugged him and pressed her soft cheeks against his. “I am sorry Roy. I don’t know what it is I can do but I will try to be a better friend.”

“What do you say if you wished you never said something that hurt a friend in the first place?” She stopped him. “Telepathy has its good sides too, apologies are easier because we can feel if they are sincere. Can we forget what happened and simply go from there?”

Roy was becoming a man and Cara felt lovely, soft, warm and emitted a faint but heavenly scent. He said. “Yes, please. I did not mean what I said. It was just so much. I think I still want to go to Sares. If everything I experienced was a lesson then I learned that I have to catch up with what I missed in school”

Cara held him at arm’s length. “I said it before, deep down you are a wise young man, Mr. Masters.” She looked a little embarrassed and added. “Why don’t we all got to Arthur’s have pigged out dinner and we all catch up. You and your new friends and of course, Partner.”

Roy learned that Sobyr went to his father right away and thanks to the presence of the PSI corps found the Calypso right away and had no problems to use Tech Stop and Paralysators to overwhelm the Kermac and the Nogoll. Thus free Aat and Pictfram. Sobyr’s father alerted the Bellebees and they instantaneously issued the detailed orders to ten thousand Union Fleet posts where Kermac battles happened and thus Union forces were able to avert a terrible catastrophe in the proverbial last minute. Cara explained that the Bellebees had no natural eyes or ears, no arms or faces but still were a tremendously important member of the Union. Bellebees could remember collectively every little detail over thousands of years and easily correlate the most minute detail with a million other details and come to a sensible solution. They were as efficient as any computronic but added intuition, creativity and a certain level of emotional response to a solution only living beings could.

For this ability, many Bellebees were part of Fleet Command and able to react to a widespread problem in a fast and decisive way.

This was the reason the Kermac attacked this system, as they correctly identified the Bellebees as powerful asset of the Union.

Sobyr’s father was a true Thauran and could not apologize directly to a “Non-Thauran” but he expressed his apologies to Roy via his son.

Sobyr assured him that had little to do with Stahl coming during a war and despite all the events halfway across the Galaxy to intervene.

It was primarily the fact that Roy was instrumental in saving Sobyr’s life. Of course, having the Immortal Admiral breathing down his neck made more than just a deep impression on the Station Commander and just about anyone.

That Stahl had been on Pluribus at that time and only a Space Train ride away from Belle Station was beside the point.

They had all a great dinner at an Arthur’s Swine and Dine and even Partner participated by eating the wrappers, entire cups of soda: cup, ice straw and all, two pepper shakers and an entire napkin holder Pictfram tossed in Partner’s direction, much to the delight of the others.

The plan they agreed on, was Roy would visit Humongous with Cara the next day and then have a whole day with his new friends before they had to resume their journey to Sares.

The next morning, bright and early Cara, Partner and Roy met at the hotel lobby after breakfast and ran into Captain Wilson, the commanding officer of the Gayimeera. He was out of uniform and wore a short white dress and carried a sports bag with a long-handled thing sticking out one side. He waved at them as he came out of the IST.

“Colonel Halvagh and Mr. Masters. I was just about to call you but running into you is even better.”

Roy remembered that Cara’s last name was Halvagh and that she was a Colonel. He also still thought it was a quite deceiving for a Saresii man to look like a real hot looking blonde with legs to the sky and a skirt that barely covered a round apple-shaped behind.

The XO of the Gayimeera, even though being half Terran was telepathically gifted and gave Ray an impish grin.

“Oh yes, indeed it is quite deceiving and fun.” Then he changed the subject. “The Gayimeera did need a new bow shield projector after all. The Nogoll missile that hit us overloaded the coils. Nothing serious but due to the war they are short of shield-projectors and have none that fits in stock.”

Cara said.”So how long will that delay us?”

“They ordered one from Ross 123 and it is already on a Post ship and should be here on Eight-day of Red Week and since we got Threeday, it will be here in five days. Fitting it is a matter of hours and we should be on our way to the HHW on Sixday latest.”

She sighed. “I hoped to be on Sares for the Silver-Cat festival so Roy could experience something that happens only every five years and get a good first impression.”

“O, I think we still make it to the festival, Colonel. We just ditch the planned stop at Blue Moon and go straight through Intergalactica SW 1 and that will get us to Sares Gate on schedule.”

Roy had no idea what they were talking about but he understood that they would be here for five more days but still somehow manage to reach Sares without much of a delay.

Cara seemed pleased with that and thanked the Captain for the information.

Captain Wilson held up the sports bag. “I am using the stopover for a few Tennis matches. The station has excellent facilities and I am participating in a local competition. Are you two care to come along?”

Cara spread her arms. “We would have loved to see you compete in whatever it is you are about to do, but we are on our way to visit Humongous and the Bellebees.”

Roy also had no idea what Tennis was. “I don’t know any Sports.”

The blonde captain shrugged. “You should check it out one of these days, it, but then you can play Tennis anywhere, but meet Bellebees only here.”

The Captain left and turned the heads of a few human males, most likely not even suspecting anything as Wilson did not look very Saresii, being blonde and tanned and all that. Roy didn’t say it aloud but was thinking. ‘He should wear a sign or something!.’

Cara rolled her eyes at Roy’s thoughts.”You might be a Greenie, but your mind is all Terran Male.”

His new friends already waited outside the hotel. Altogether, and a taxi ride later they boarded a local shuttle bound for Humongous.